EXPLAINER: Is waste-to-energy technology the answer to waste management?

The amount of municipal waste in the Philippines reaches up to 14.6 million tons annually, according to a report by the World Bank in 2025.

Such a volume of waste is equivalent to a height of 250 to 250 feet - almost as high as the Statue of Liberty in New York or the Big Ben clock tower in London.

During a Senate hearing last July 20, Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said their projection shows that solid waste in the country could reach up to 23.6 million metric tons yearly.

In Metro Manila alone, there are already 10,000 metric tons of waste generated daily.

There have been several projects that were implemented to address the country's waste problem, including establishing thermal waste-to-energy facilities. But is this the solution to address this ever present dilemma?

Waste-to-energy

Thermal waste-to-energy (WTE) technology is the conversion of non-recyclable waste materials into usable heat, electricity, or fuel through a variety of processes, including combustion, gasification, pyrolization, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas recovery.

In other countries, the waste is taken to plants where recyclable materials are segregated. Meanwhile, materials that can be burned, such as paper, non-recyclable or single use plastics, dried leaves, wood, fabrics, and other non-hazardous waste, are brought to the combustion chamber.

The heat generated from burning the waste is then used to convert water into steam. The steam is used to power a generator that will produce electricity.

Countries such as the United States, Japan, China, Germany, and Singapore are already implementing the said technology.

As an example, in the US a common waste-to-energy plant can generate 550 kilowatt-hours of energy per ton of waste. This can supply electricity to almost three houses that each consume 200 kWh a month, or five low-income households that use 100 kWh a month.

Risks

But there is a catch: there is a risk that WTE technology is harmful to our environment because of the pollution it produces.

"Yung electricity na gine-generate ng WTE, it does not cancel out yung pollution na ginagawa niya. It's fundamentally harmful and it also contributes to climate change. Ang daming problema na nire-release ng WTE na it outweighs yung benefit niya na pag-generate ng electricity. It's dirty energy," said Greenpeace Philippines communications campaigner Eunille Santos.

(The electricity generated by WTE does not cancel out the pollution it creates. It's fundamentally harmful, and it also contributes to climate change. WTE releases so many problems that it outweighs its benefit of generating electricity. It's dirty energy.)

Experts said that WTE technology can possibly cause toxic pollutants in the air as well as toxic waste water that can contaminate nearby land and bodies of water.

Among the pollutants produced by WTE technology is dioxin, which is highly toxic. Once it contaminates the soil, it can also contaminate food sources.

For humans, dioxin can cause cancer, severe skin problems and damage the immune system.

Experts also suggest that specialized landfills are still needed for the disposal of toxic ash and other byproducts generated by WTE plants.

"Even si House Bill 9157 or ‘yung Waste to Energy Act, it actually recognizes na ‘yung mga residue from waste to energy facilities should still be managed and disposed in landfills. Yung thermal WTE cannot make garbage disappear. Hindi mawawala ‘yung basura. It actually just transforms one problem into another problem," said Santos.

(Even House Bill 9157, or the Waste-to-Energy Act, actually recognizes that the residue from waste-to-energy facilities should still be managed and disposed of in landfills. Thermal WTE cannot make garbage disappear. The garbage won't just go away. It actually just transforms one problem into another problem.)

In his fifth State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted the need to update the 25-year-old Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, aligning it with modern waste management practices that includes WTE.

In May 2026, House Bill No. 9157 or the proposed "Waste-to-Energy Act" was approved on third and final reading. Under the bill, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources must monitor the emission coming from WTE facilities.

"’Yung mga facilities na ito, kailangan niya ng predictable supply ng basura. Umaasa nga tayo sa continuous supply ng basura para gumana ito. So it doesn't address yung problema natin sa basura and in fact, it can encourage na okay lang tayo gumawa ng basura kasi may mga WTE facilities naman tayo," said Santos.

(These facilities require a predictable supply of garbage. In fact, they rely on a continuous supply of garbage to operate. So it doesn't address our garbage problem, and in fact, it can encourage the mindset that it's okay for us to create waste because we have WTE facilities anyway.) —RF, GMA News